Video: Stolen Military‑Style Vehicle Chase Injures 2 N.Y. Police Officers
What to know
- A man stole a privately owned, military‑style vehicle and led police on a dangerous early‑morning pursuit through Utica, injuring two police officers before crashing, authorities said.
- During the chase, the suspect drove into utility poles, a fire hydrant and a building, while one police officer was injured after climbing onto the moving vehicle.
- The driver was arrested after the vehicle became disabled and now faces multiple felony charges, with additional charges possible as the investigation continues.
SYRACUSE, NY—A man stole a military-style vehicle, led officers on a chaotic pursuit through Utica and injured two officers before crashing early this morning, Utica police said.
Before the chase ended, the driver crashed the vehicle into a utility pole, a fire hydrant and a building. He kept driving as one police officer hung on and tried to break into a window. Finally, the pursuit ended when the driver ran the vehicle into a tree.
The driver was identified as Daniel Passino-Brazeau, 29, who has no known address, according to Utica police.
Passino-Brazeau was charged with two counts of second-degree assault, third-degree grand larceny, driving while intoxicated, unlawful fleeing a police officer and numerous vehicle and traffic violations.
Two officers went to Wynn Hospital for treatment, including one with head and body injuries. Both were released from the hospital.
The chase started around 2:20 a.m., when police were called to the area of the Alexander Pirnie Federal Building after a security officer reported a suspicious man and a missing 5-ton military-style vehicle that was privately owned, Michael Curley, a spokesperson for the Utica Police Department, said.
Surveillance footage showed the man getting into the vehicle, which was parked near 221 Oriskany St., and driving away, Curley said.
Officers later found the vehicle on West Street and attempted to stop it, but the driver didn’t comply, Curley said.
Instead, the driver initially moved the vehicle slowly before accelerating toward officers, forcing them to move out of the way to avoid being hit by the vehicle, Curley said.
The driver then fled south on West Street, through the city and ended up on Genesee Street. There, the vehicle hit a utility pole and a fire hydrant, severing both. The driver also caused significant damage to a building at 287 Genesee St., Curley said.
During the pursuit, an officer climbed onto the vehicle and tried to break the driver’s side window. The driver accelerated, causing the officer to be thrown off and injured, Curley said.
Yet the driver kept going. The vehicle continued south through Oneida Square and onto the 1600 block of Genesee Street, where it hit a tree. The vehicle was so damaged Passino-Brazeau could no longer drive it, Curley said.
After the crash, officers approached the vehicle and attempted to break the windows again to remove the driver. The driver got out of the vehicle through the driver’s door, Curley said. The man struggled with officers before being taken into custody. A second officer injured his hand and wrist during the encounter, he said.
Curley said officers worked to limit risk by blocking side streets during the pursuit.
Both officers were treated and released from Wynn Hospital. One officer with head and body injuries will be out of work for a period of time, Curley said.
Additional charges are possible as the investigation continues, Curley said.
The incident caused closures along Genesee Street between Dakin and South streets due to debris.
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